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Solomon Kane
Solomon Kane is a 2026 American dark fantasy action-adventure film based on the pulp magazine character created by Robert E. Howard of the same name. Kit Harington stars in the title role as Solomon Kane, a somber early 17th century Puritan who wanders the world with no other goal other than to vanquish evil in all its forms. Produced by Legendary Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the first film in the Robert E. Howard Cinematic Universe. ---- Solomon Kane is a dark fantasy action-adventure movie starring Solomon Kane (Kit Harington), A late 16th–early 17th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber man wandering the globe with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in all its forms. He was contacted by a woman named Susanna Baillieu (Emilia Clarke), the daughter of a rich merchant. She suspected that a man named Le Loup (Javier Bardem) is stalking her. Solomon rode on his horse to Paris, where he finds the woman has been kidnapped. After conferring with his close friend, a French diplomat, writer and a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church named Arnaud d'Ossat (Al Pacino), Solomon Kane learned that Le Loup has escaped to the French countryside and tracked him to a fishing village, where le Loup and his goons have long sailed to Africa. Finding Baillieu dead in one of the houses, Solomon Kane vows revenge, sailing to Africa to kill Le Loup once and for all Synopsis Solomon Kane is Puritan living in 1601, who wanders the globe with vanquishing evil in all its forms. He was contacted by a beautiful woman named Susanna Baillieu, the daughter of a rich merchant. She suspected that a terrorist named Le Loup is stalking her. Solomon rode on his horse to Paris to help her but finds her house empty. After consulting with his close friend, a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church named Arnaud d'Ossat, Solomon Kane learned that Le Loup has been seen leaving the city and tracked him to a fishing village, where le Loup and his goons have long since sailed to the jungles of Africa. Finding Baillieu's corpse in one of the houses, Solomon Kane vows revenge for her death, sailing to Africa to kill le Loup in revenge. Unknown to Solomon, however, is that le Loup has plans for him. Plot Solomon Kane rides on his horse in the city of London, planning to meet Queen Elizabeth I of England. However, his plans were cut short when a troupe of vampires, led by Geoffrey Tiploft, attacked him in the middle of the night. Geoffrey claims that Solomon Kane has killed his brother in the past and that he now seeks revenge for the killing. Solomon replies that he does not remember meeting his brother and that he has killed so many vampires in his life that it is almost second nature for him. Enraged, Geoffrey tries pouncing on Solomon but the Puritan is prepared, bringing his wooden stake with him. Pinning Geoffrey into the cobblestone streets, Solomon Kane pierces Geoffrey's chest with the stake, killing him. The rest of the vampire troupe flees in fear, and Solomon Kane calmly rode back on his horse into Richmond Palace, where he is greeted by John Dee, the castle's resident mathematician, astrologer and occultist. He tells Solomon Kane that the Queen is currently too ill for her to have visitors, and takes him out into the castle courtyard, where they talked while walking along with the garden. John Dee recounts to Solomon his meeting at the local pub with Susanna Baillieu, the daughter of a rich merchant named Francis Baillieu. She told the astrologer about meeting a French rebellion leader named Le Loup, who has been plotting a coup against King Henry IV of France. the man seems to take a disturbing liking to her, Susanna claimed to Dee, and that she worries that he may try to kidnap her in the future. John Dee tells Solomon Kane that he promised the girl that he would find someone to guard her, and Solomon Kane feels that he should be the one to protect her. Writing a letter to Susanna, Solomon Kane offered his services to protect the girl with no need for a reward. Susanna contacted him days later through a letter, letting him know that she has decided that Solomon Kane should be her bodyguard for a few days, before her father finally returns from his trips in Moldavia. Solomon Kane rode on his black horse into the night, heading for Paris. Along the way, he meets Abigail Notyngham, a widower who acts as the leader of a group of thieves known as Highhoods. Noticing that the group is comprised of widowed women and women only, Notyngham replied that they are poor grieving widows who felt that their kingdom has failed them, and thus decided to rob the rich in revenge. Solomon Kane told the women that he is unsure of revenge, as the best revenge in his mind is to be unlike the person who committed the act in the first place. Abigail simply tells him that he shall soon grow cynical of the world around him, and the somber man simply tells her that he already is. Finally arriving in Paris after a few days in horseback, Solomon Kane finds Susanna's house to be empty and went to search her house. He finds letters written in blood telling her that the writer intends to kidnap and hold her for ransom, in exchange for jewelry and spices. Solomon rode on his horse to the house of his very good friend, Arnaud d'Ossat. He is a French diplomat and writer, and a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. After discussing about how King Henry IV made Arnaud d'Ossat a cardinal priest, Solomon Kane then asked Arnaud on Le Loup and whether the kingdom knows any useful information on Le Loup and where he might have gone, Arnaud told him that Le Loup has been sighted fleeing to the French countryside and that he may have traveled to a fishing village called Vierris. Solomon Kane in a hurry rode his horse into the village as soon as he can, saving a woman from a gang of thieves on the way there. As soon as he arrives, Solomon Kane learns that Le Loup and his gang have long sailed away to the Merina Kingdom in Southeast Africa. After being informed by one of the villagers that they have smelled what they thought was rotten fish from one of the houses, which has long been abandoned by the former owner. Solomon Kane immediately barges in and finds the corpse of Susanna Baillieu. It appears that she has been strangled to death by Le Loup, and Solomon Kane feels anger rising up within him that he has not felt in many years, silently swearing that men shall die for this. Solomon Kane buys a small sailing ship and wrote a letter to the Highhoods, asking them to be his crew. Abigail and her guild finally arrive a few days later, asking Solomon Kane for rewards in exchange for their services. Solomon Kane gives them a gold ring given to him by his former friend, who was killed some years ago. The Highhoods agreed to aid him and Solomon Kane and the guild of thieves sail away to Africa. During their sailing trip, a massive lightning storm emerges. As heavy rain pours on their face, a massive sea serpent emerges from the waters, much to the dismay of Solomon Kane and the terror of everyone else. Solomon Kane and Abigail Notyngham team up to kill the sea serpent, with Abigail ultimately piercing the sea serpent with a sword. However, one of the Highhoods was bitten by the sea serpent and bleeding profusely. Abigail draws her musket and shoots a silver bullet directly into the forehead. Solomon Kane and Abigail argue, with Kane disapproving of her shooting her own crew. Abigail defends herself by stating that the women were bleeding and would soon die of infection anyways. She shot her to relieve her of her pain. Loudly screaming at each other, neither one of them not noticing the giant wave heading for their ship. The wave crashes at them and destroys the ship. Solomon Kane woke up at a beach, being awakened by a young teenage boy. The boy introduces himself as N'Longa, the son of a tribe's chief. He stated that his father was killed by a leopard spirit named Pant'Thos when he was just a young boy and has lived by himself since. N'Longa takes him to an island offshore using his wooden raft, into the Kingdom of Imerina. In a busy marketplace in Antananarivo, Solomon Kane sees a bearded caucasian that matches the descriptions he had heard of Le Loup and gives chase, with N'Longa running after him. After a long chase, Solomon Kane finds out that the man he is chasing is not Le Loup but rather an assassin working for King Ralambo, the current ruler of the Kingdom of Imerina. Demanding an audience with the king, he finally got his wish and was taken to the king as a prisoner alongside N'Longa. Chastised by Ralambo, Solomon Kane apologized and states that he simply wants to capture Le Loup, a French terrorist who murdered an innocent girl for money. King Ralambo orders the guards to remove Solomon and N'Longa's chains. King Ralambo takes Solomon Kane for a walk, explaining that there are reports of a French criminal arriving in his kingdom for the past few weeks and that he has heard of le Loup and what he is capable of. King Ralambo gives him a map of the Merina Kingdom and lets him know that he will always be welcomed on their island. Solomon Kane travels through the jungles of the island using the map, finding a group of French men around a campfire in the middle of the night alongside a woman, who is being held captive. Solomon Kane instinctively attacks the men and was soon overpowered by them. Just as they were about to shoot the Puritan, N'Longa rescues Solomon Kane, using his spear to disarm and kill the men. N'Longa explained that he followed Solomon Kane into the jungles, curious as to what his activities are. Once he witnessed Solomon in trouble, he quickly leaps in and kills the men. Solomon looked at the captive women, recognizing her as Abigail Notyngham. Abigail explained that she woke up at a beach, surrounded by several muscular men. They chained her and sold her as a slave, and was bought by these French mercenaries who works for Le Loup. Limbs and vines brushed against Kane's face. The oppressive humidity of the tropic rose like mist about him. The moon shines bright, and Solomon Kane alongsides his three companions wlak through the jungles, finding for any signs of Le Loup. Kane does not know if the man he sought was ahead of him, but the trampled underbrush showed that some man had gone that way, and that men presumably worked for Le Loup . Kane followed these signs devotedly, believing in the vengeance he would bring to Le Loup, he did not doubt that destiny would finally bring him face to face with Le Loup. And destiny did. The trio encounters Le Loup and his men partying in a clearing. Just as rain began to pour on their face and a thunderstorm erupted above them, Solomon Kane charged his sword at Le Loup and attempts to slash him, but misses. Le Loup grabs Solomon Kane in a chockehold and decapitates him. In a rage, Abigail rushes to Le Loup with her musket, shooting wildly into the group. Some of Le Loup's men were killed by the hail of bullets, but Le Loup himself expertly dodges them and stabs Abigail right in the stomach. N'Longa, having realized that he is outmatched, runs to get some help. Solomon Kane awakens in darkness. A pair of red eyes observes him, and soon, the owner of those pair of eyes reveals himself as Pant'Thos, the dark leopard spirit. Pant'Thos offers Solomon Kane a second chance at life, providing the means for his soul to return to his body. Solomon reluctantly accepted the offer and found himself alive again. Solomon Kane grabs a sword from one of the men and slashes him. He then sneaks around the camp, noticing that Le Loup is hiking up the mountain. Solomon Kane follows Le Loup with the silver sword, hoping for a chance to kill Le Loup. The moon illuminates the path and gave Solomon Kane a clear vision as he came out at last into the top of the mountain and saw Le Loup standing there. Le Loup's blade was a gleam of silver, and he stood with shoulders thrown back with a defiant smile on his face. The two battled each other in the pouring rain, as neither side gains any advantages in battle. The two men clashed at each other, as if they are fire and ice, and both wit equal fury and hatred against the other. Le Loup fought like a wild beast yet was very crafty in skill, leaving no openings and taking advantage of every opportunity given to him. Kane, on the other hand, is cold and calculating. As Le Loup goads Solomon Kane into charging at him, Solomon Kane stays deadly still. Confused by this, Le Loup took the opportunity to charge but Solomon Kane ducked underneath is silver sword and kicked him in the stomach. As he fell, Kane took his chance at swings his sword right into Le Loup's head, decapitating him. Looking at Le Loup's dead and beheaded body, Solomon looked at the dark and stormy sky and realized that he had completely forgotten about his two companions, running back into the camp. Solomon Kane arrived down the mountain into Le Loup's camp, finding out that it had turned into a battlefield. N'Longa is leading an army of soldiers from the Merina Kingdom, accompanied by Ralambo. The two factions charge at each other, and a bloody battle ensues. Solomon Kane grabs his sword and charges into battle, slashing at Le Loup's men with cold, calculating fury. Guion Girault, Le Loup's second-in-command, charges at Solomon Kane, but Solomon simply dodges his every attack and stabs him right in the heart. Soon, Le Loup's men realize that they are hopelessly outnumbered and surrenders. The men were put in chains and led away to be tried for their crimes. Solomon Kane was informed that Abigail Notyngham lies dying. Kane rushes to be by her side as she dies, and Abigail admits that she has wasted her life stealing from others. Abigail informs Solomon Kane that she has a cousin in Marseille named Margeria de Chastillon, who was about to give birth to a baby daughter. She makes him promise that he would be the guardian of that child till adultood, and that he would do everything he can to keep them safe, before passing away in his arms. N'Longa and Solomon Kane bid goodbye, with N'Longa promising to aid Solomon Kane if he ever sets foot in Africa again. And thus, Solomon Kane sails back to France. Riding in his black horse, Solomon Kane rides to Marseille, with a new purpose and clarity in his life. Deleted Scenes Solomon Kane's fight with Le Loup was originally going to be much longer, but it has been simplified and condensed. Quotes "As mine own most belov'd writer wouldst say, of all men’s mis'ries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing" - Solomon Kane "''A long trail, Monsieur. It began in France; it ends in an African jungle. I have wearied of the game at last, Monsieur--and you shall die. You shall find me the fighting prowess of a wolf" ''- Le Loup Cast * Kit Harington as Solomon Kane * Tyler James Williams as N'Longa * Javier Bardem as Le Loup * Hailee Steinfeld as Abigail Notyngham * Emilia Clarke as Susanna Baillieu * Benedict Cumberbatch as John Dee * Gérard Depardieu as Arnaud d'Ossat * Chiwetel Ejiofor as Ralambo, King of Imerina * James Earl Jones as Pant'Thos * Louis Garrel as Guion Girault * Skylar Astin as Geoffrey Tiploft * Amy Landecker as Injured Highhoods Member * Dean Ridge as Henry IV of France (cameo) Reception Box office Solomon Kane grossed $84.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $87.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $171.8 million. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $582,630 from four theaters. It was the best of 2026, beating Star Wars: New Chapter's $149,303. In its second weekend the film made $2.2 million from 34 theaters. Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 567 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though it has it's pitfalls, Solomon Kane suceeds in being the highly engrossing movie it was made to be". Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 97 out of 100, based on 67 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and a 57% "definite recommend". Production * A film adaptation of Solomon Kane, a fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard, was announced in late October 2025. The movie was to be directed by Gary Shore and produced by Sean Daniel. * The plot of the film very loosely adapts "Red Shadows", the very first Solomon Kane story ever published. * Kit Harington was ultimately chosen to play Solomon Kane. Christian Bale and Henry Cavill were runner-ups for the role. * The Merina Kingdom was very much a real place. The Merina Kingdom, or Kingdom of Madagascar, officially the Kingdom of Imerina (c.1540–1897) was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 19th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. Category:Movies Category:Live Action Category:Action Category:Adventure Category:Fantasy Category:20th Century Fox Category:Legendary Entertainment Category:Films based on works by Robert E. Howard